Lil' Flip is not small by any stretch of the imagination, whether you're discussing his 6 foot height or the impact his music has had on Houston hip-hop. In fact, his rap name explains this hustler's ambition. The alias was given to him because he came into the game as a young teen, and had a fascination with flipping his money into bigger stacks.

Now Flip is focused on flipping the national limelight back to the South side of Houston, where he insists that the expression "What It Do" (the name of his new single) and the Screwed and Chopped sound originated with his mentor, the late DJ Screw, and the Screwed Up Click.

Despite what some might consider to be a major setback over the last year, Flip has resolved his differences with T.I., and set his focus more on business -- his new album I Need mine, his lucrative ring tones and Lucky Nites liquor sales. And continues to flip his money into larger amounts.

Ballerstatus chopped it up with the Clover G Veteran about the conflict he has with other rappers in Houston, and his numerous business ventures. Turns out, Flip is a full-time hustler.

BallerStatus.net: Who started that saying "what it do?"

Lil' Flip: The Screwed Up click. That's how we been talking. We been saying "What it do," since high school. That's like really old.

BallerStatus.net: The first time I heard it used was on "Still Tippin'," when Paul Wall said it.

Lil' Flip: Yeah, he saying that stuff now, but if you go back to all the Screwed tapes and sh--, we been saying that sh--t since high school. That's why there's a little conflict between the Screwed Up click and them now because they actually take stuff from our Screw tapes and makes songs about them. They try and take credit for sh-- we did. He ain't start no "What It Do." On the East Coast, n----s be like "What's good, what's popping, what's cracking?" We say, "What it do." That's our way of saying "What's up?"

BallerStatus.net: That leads me to my next question. Tennessee appears more united with Three 6 Mafia doing the track "Stay Fly" with 8Ball and MJG, and Young Buck on it. What's it going to take for Houston rappers to be more united?

Lil' Flip: For one, what it's going to take is for people to stop taking the Screwed Up click sound and style and running around the world copying and not being original. As far as the unity thing, this is how it is man. The Screwed Up Click is always going to be Screwed Up Click; we always going to mess with each other. And the other cats they go out...it's always going to be divided in that sense. But as far as me, I'm about bringing it together. A lot of the Screwed Up Click artists, I'm producing records on their albums. I got Lil' Keke and Big Pokie on my album and Z-Ro. So everybody in the Screwed Up Click, I'm doing production on they album. I'm helping them out; it's unity, it's like that. So, I'm just letting you know, and we ain't hating on them other dudes, but they just got to tell the press what's real and who started what and pay homage to motherf---ers that paved the way, basically.

BallerStatus.net: Can you give us a little background on the Screwed Up Click?

Lil' Flip: Yeah, Yeah...basically, DJ Screw, he took a lot of rappers and let them come in his house and do mixtapes. Artists like the Lil' Keke's, Z-RO, Big Pokey. They put out records and sold hundreds of thousands of records after the Screw tapes. Screw was like how Kay Slay is in New York, ya dig what I'm saying? That's how big he was.

BallerStatus.net: Has the last year been difficult for you, with T.I. becoming so successful while he was ridiculing you And your music wasn't out at the time. It reminded me of the Ja Rule/50 beef.

Lil' Flip: [laughs] I don't even want to talk about that dude. I already knew that question...I be predicting these interviews. I knew that was the next question. I don't even want to talk about that n---- man. I'm at three million ring tones. Come on, n----s ain't on my level dude. You taking to a n---- who done been to Germany, Switzerland and Amsterdam. I got my own liquor out (Lucky Nites). [I got] half a million off my liquor. [I got] my clothing line, I'm directing my own videos. That sh-- doesn't bother me dog.

When you come into the game, everybody's not going to like you. I'm not even worried about the whole situation. When my new album come out then n----s will see what's what and who goes into the studio. I don't need a million n----s on my album; I could hold my own every f---ing album. I ain't have to say sh-- about no n---- on my album for it to sound good, and n----s will see. The Source need to give me 10 mics this time around. They gave Lil Kim 5 mics, know I'm saying? I need 10 mics.

BallerStatus.net: Nah, because a lot artists get black balled, you know how it's all about crews and affiliations.

Lil' Flip: You can't blackball me -- him or anybody. Because before them, there was Lil Flip. Before any artist had a deal with any label, I was in all these places off my first album, The Leprechaun. I was everywhere from Cleveland to Florida, to Atlanta, to Cali off my first album. I was traveling all these places -- people know about Lil Flip way before these people. So, it don't bother me because everywhere I go, the fans are there because I don't think I'm too good like other rappers that think they too good to give out T-shirts and CDs at they shows, not me.BallerStatus.net: Your climb to mainstream success came a lot quicker than other artists in Houston. Many such as Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, and Chamillionaire started out with Swisha House first, why didn't you have to go through Swisha House?

Lil' Flip: Once again, Screwed Up Click was its own entity. We do our own sh--. We don't need nobody; they copied our style. We the first people that Screwed music.
BallerStatus.net: You blew up quicker?

Lil' Flip: Because I just don't rap about Houston stuff. I don't just rap about candy paint. Every song is not about candy paint and about how many diamonds in my grill. That's not what I do. I got off my a.ss...everybody was satisfied with just being stars in Houston and Louisiana. I got off my a.ss and went to New Orleans. Got of my a.ss and went to L.A., gave out a hundred bikes with Steve Harvey. I went to Sacramento and I went to all these places in the hood by myself and that's why. They get satisfied, they get comfortable with the little fame they get, and they don't want to do nothing else. That's why some of them ain't got no shows now.

BallerStatus.net: I read somewhere that some artists felt that with your mainstream success off your last couple of albums -- with you being signed to a major label -- you could have helped put out some of the Houston based talent.

Lil' Flip: I am doing that. The Botany boys, Da Black Al Capone...his album, The Notorious Underboss, is coming out soon. The Clover G's, they in the Screwed Up Click. Now you going to have some people mad like, "Well he ain't help me." I'm from the streets, you can't hustle with everybody. If you from the streets, do you go hustle with any n---- just 'cause he wants to hustle with you? No, you can not hustle with everybody. So, the motherf---ers I helped, is the people that helped me. So the people that's complaining that I ain't help them is 'cause motherf---er, you ain't do sh-- for me.

BallerStatus.net: Ok, because from an outsiders point of view. I'm from New York, so I just see what I see. I know you from the singles like "The Way We Ball," "Game Over," and "Sunshine."

Lil' Flip: You heard Bun B on the "Game over" remix and you heard Young Buck on the "Game Over" remix. You heard Chamillonaire on my first album, you heard the Clover G's on my first album and on my second album -- those the people who I f--- with; that's who I f--- with.

BallerStatus.net: Now you see the whole big movement with Swishahouse. But, you have you own separate crews. You both in Houston, so how does that work. Why is there that division?

Lil' Flip: South side and North side. We the south side.

BallerStatus.net: And the North side is Swishahouse?

Lil' Flip: Yeah, Exactly.

BallerStatus.net: Any thing you want to say about your album, I Need Mine?

Lil' Flip: Yeah,it's a double album; it will be out on December 27th. I got MJG, Life, Nate Dogg, Z-Ro, the Screwed Up Click and that's about it. I don't like to have too many features on my sh--. I produced five tracks on this album and I got one from Scott Storch, one from Nas' producer Salaam Remi, Mannie Fresh did the first single, "What It Do," and other than that, it's just up-and-coming producers.

I'm giving away 10 prizes. I'm giving away five clover G chains and five Clover G watches. I got my own watches coming out in December; I got my Liquor (Lucky Nites) in stores right now doing real, real well. My movie is written called "Pimpin' Ain't Easy." I'm going to shoot it in about five to six months. Other than that, it's a wrap!

^^thats cool but one encounter doesnt give you a sense of if the dude is real or not..i have known people for mad long and find out at the end i didnt even know them so that point was irrelavent but thats coo u got to hang with tthe dude.

man seems like he still catchin feelins bout the whole ti beef, seems like he went off when they asked him bout the beef, dude coulda easily said the beef is done and in the past and he movin on, but i guess he still pissed bout it

And all ya'll fools who think Face exposed Flip dumb as fukk... Like homie said in an earlier post.... Before Flip got a major deal Face was in some magazine(can't remeber) all on Flip nuts.... I been jammin Flipper since 1999.... T.I wasn't even heard of... I can't lie though TipDrill is a Beast on the Mic but overall I fukk wit Flip. U internet peeps think sales have nothing to do with how good or bad an album is but when u going Platinum off of 1 video per album like Flip Vs TipDrilll having 3-4 per album who better... I thought videos was what made the songs better cause u gettin a visual... Although Flip had 2 videos for the Undaground Legend album he still sold more than TipDrill..

you serious? you see how scarface said flip didnt roll in cloverland and then named two people, flip was shown with the two people he was talking about on beef 3. second that whats beef dis by flip was sick, it did take ti 4 videos to go gold and it took flip 2 to go multi-plat. u see the part where ti went to cloverland and got knocked the f*uck out by black al capone

T.I. ruined his a.ss on that mixtape, that's why that n*gga so mad. Flip needs to just say "Next Question" like Drew Rosenhaus when they ask him about T.I. He does not want that n*gga goin at him again.

As a matter of fact:
Slim thug>>>>>>Flipperaci, lol
Paul Wall>>>>>>Flip
Mike Jones>>>>>Flip(yeah, I said it)
Any other rapper from Houston>>>>>>Flip

you serious? you see how scarface said flip didnt roll in cloverland and then named two people, flip was shown with the two people he was talking about on beef 3. second that whats beef dis by flip was sick, it did take ti 4 videos to go gold and it took flip 2 to go multi-plat. u see the part where ti went to cloverland and got knocked the f*uck out by black al capone

You goin off sh*t that Flip said, check your info pimp, Trap Muzik and Urban Legend are PLATINUM. You can check soundscan for that. And flip is not multiplatinum, are you serious...plus both of his cds are doubles, so in reality, T.I. sold WAY more units!!!!

man lil flip has much love on the south side!!! don't give me sh*t about TI owned the dude..i went to a TI concert a week after he came down here and "fought" flip, and lil dude STILL had a fat eye...Flip real..he's tried to help out some peeps from SUC..The dude wrecked teh tapes back in the day, order something from the shop and you can hear. He wanted to make real money soo he went mainstream..sh*t he has more money than i even will soo fu*k it, he made it big, just glad some of the SUC might be able to do the same.
fu*k it im out..pop me in a Grey tape...

^^thats cool but one encounter doesnt give you a sense of if the dude is real or not..i have known people for mad long and find out at the end i didnt even know them so that point was irrelavent but thats coo u got to hang with tthe dude.

Nah dog we actually hung out in htown. We went to the screw shop, clover, jimmy chans & smoked big dro and freestyled in the back of the Maybach

Man I really don't listen to either of the 2 but I do remember YEARS ago I would always see flip's name on mirc to dowload all these cd's and how everybody loved him.. then this n*gga t.i. comes out and ya'll jump on his d!ck..like I said I really don't listen to either..but I really don't like t.i. that n*gga is over rated! Flip just makin money though..so I'll give him props for that..